ED attaches assets of former Sonepur Panchayat Samiti chairman in PMLA case

Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], July 7 : Directorate of Enforcement, Bhubaneswar has provisionally attached movable and immovable assets worth over Rs 1 crore of former Chairman of Sonepur Panchayat Samiti in Odisha's Subarnapur in connection with a PMLA case.

"ED has provisionally attached assets amounting to Rs 1,06,54,077 of Pradeep Kumar Satapathy, Ex-Chairman of Sonepur Panchayat Samiti, Sonepur, District - Subarnapur, Odisha under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002", said an official statement.

According to the statement, ED had initiated an investigation by recording an ECIR under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 against Pradeep Kumar Satpathy, Ex-Chairman of Sonepur Panchayat Samiti, Sonepur, District - Subarnapur, Odisha.

"The investigation was initiated on the basis of FIR registered by Vigilance P.S., Sambalpur, Odisha under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 for abusing his official position and accumulating huge assets amounting to Rs 1,10,27,621/- which was found to be disproportionate to his known sources of income during the check period from 01.01.1997 to 19.01.2010", the statement read.

The release further stated that the assets were amassed during his tenure as a Sarpanch of Khari Gram Panchayat of Subarnapur District, Chairman of Sonepur Panchayat Samiti and Vice-Chairman of Sonepur Panchayat Samiti during the above-mentioned check period.

Further investigation is in progress.